The Gift of Independence

So I am made fun of frequently by friends because as my children get old enough to pull on their own clothes, I do the unthinkable.....I LET THEM! Can you believe it! My current 2 year old (I say this because I have had a two year old for the last 3 years!) has been in the habit of pulling everything on inside out and backwards! But she is determined, "I do it!" and so my job becomes easier because she does it herself. We leave the house much faster because I now only have to dress myself and my 7 month old. So what if she looks a little funny right now. She's proud of herself and I know this stage won't last forever. This isn't something that I thought of myself, I learned from the best, my mom. She let me dress myself and put make up on, empowering me to become the woman I am today. I hope that my girls will learn to trust their judgement and feel proud of themselves and their choices. And now, most days when I dress I at least match now!

Introducing the Schinella 6

It is nearly impossible to get every person in a family of 6 to all look at the camera at the same time. Out of 214 photos, this was the closest we came.